The New England Patriots didn't have much salary cap space to make meaningful roster improvements before the 2022 NFL season, and one of the reasons for that was they spent a ton of money in free agency the year before.
The 2023 offseason could see the Patriots again make a splash on free agents.
Rex Ryan lost a Patriots-Jets bet and paid up in hilarious fashion
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE OverTheCap's 2023 projections have the Patriots with the third-most cap space in the league at $52.2 million. The Chicago Bears are No. 1 with an astounding $110.8 million of projected room under the cap.
The Patriots' notable free agents after this season include running back Damien Harris, wide receivers Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor, offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn, cornerback Jonathan Jones and special teams ace Matthew Slater.
Even if the Patriots re-sign some or all of these players, they should still have a good chunk of salary cap space to be a major force in free agency. They could use that cap space to address key positions on the roster that need talent and/or depth upgrades, such as wide receiver, left tackle, linebacker, etc.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
It's better to address roster needs through the draft than free agency. It's a lot cheaper to build a winning roster that way. But if a team like the Patriots has a lot of cap space and a win-now mentality, it might as well use that space to its advantage, especially while the starting quarterback (Mac Jones) is on a rookie contract.